Myth 1: Eating disorders are a choice

Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions with no one single cause. They are thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. Eating disorders can be very distressing for both the individual and those around them.

Eating disorders are mental health disorders and are never a choice.

Myth 2: Eating disorders are someone seeking attention and being vain

Those with eating disorders may have a preoccupation with their appearance, with a strong feeling of body dissatisfaction. This can also be linked to body dysmorphia: seeing your body differently, in a distorted view, to how it actually looks, for example seeing oneself as overweight when in actuality, some people diagnosed with eating disorders may be dangerously underweight.

Eating disorders are not just someone wanting to look a certain way, or being vain. Eating disorders are serious illnesses, not a lifestyle choice, phase, or someone attention-seeking.

Often individuals with eating disorders will attempt to hide the eating disorder from loved ones and keep it secret.

Myth 3: Eating disorders only affect those who are underweight

Although weight loss is a recognised symptom of anorexia nervosa, most people with an eating disorder are within the “healthy” to “overweight” weight range. In the past, the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa used to include a low body mass index, but recently this has been removed – research shows that anorexia nervosa can affect individuals who are not considered to have an objectively low weight on a BMI chart.

One aspect of recovery from an eating disorder is weight restoration, but when this is complete, this does not mean that the person has recovered – the patterns of thinking and behaviours associated with the illness must also be addressed as part of recovery.

Myth 4: Eating disorders only affect young girls

Research shows that eating disorders can affect anyone, without discrimination– they affect people of all genders, ages, ethnicities and sexual orientations. Studies have shown up to ¼ of those with eating disorders are male!

Myth 5: Eating disorders are a ‘diet gone wrong’

As mentioned above, eating disorders come about as a result of several different factors, including psychological, biological and genetic factors, and environmental factors, social and cultural to name a few. Environmental factors may include events in childhood, for example difficult upbringing, bullying or a traumatic life event. Another example of a precipitating factor may be going on a diet – however, eating disorders are not “a diet that has gone wrong.”

They are serious mental health disorders.

Myth 6: Eating disorder behaviours focus on food only

Those with eating disorders generally have an unhealthy focus on food and weight, however symptoms of an eating disorder can extend far beyond this.  Research shows links between perfectionism, obsessional behaviour and eating disorders, which can lead to fixation on school performance and grades, sports and athletic competition etc. Professions such as ballerinas, athletes and models are commonly recognised as risk factors for eating disorders. Some individuals report using food coping mechanisms as a way of feeling in control over one aspect of life, where other circumstances and external factors are uncontrollable.

Eating disorders can be accompanied by another mental health condition, for example depression and anxiety. Some report that food, exercise and purge-related activities decrease depression and anxiety at first, but as the disorder progresses, malnutrition caused by an eating disorder can increase levels of depression and anxiety and can affect all aspects of life.

Myth 7: An eating disorder diagnosis is fixed. If you’re diagnosed with one type of eating disorder, you won’t develop another type of eating disorder.

Many people with eating disorders will experience more than one disorder in their lifetime. Roughly half of all people with anorexia nervosa will go on to develop bulimia nervosa. Some individuals show signs of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa simultaneously.

Diagnosis can change over time and is fluid. All eating disorders may involve life-threatening consequences.

Myth 8: Purging involves self-induced vomiting only

Purging is defined as any method of removing food from the body before full digestion. Individuals may be driven to purge to compensate for what may be perceived as excessive food intake. While self-induced vomiting is one of the most common and well-known ways for an individual will purge, there are other methods including laxative and enema use. Other non-purging compensatory behaviours are fasting and excessive exercising. Manipulation of insulin in diabetes to reduce amount of absorbed sugars from food is another recognised eating disorder Diabulimia. Individuals may purge using more than one method.

Each method of purging carries its own risks, but can cause potentially life-threatening electrolyte imbalances.

Myth 9: It is not possible to recover from an eating disorder, its in your genes

Within mental health settings, the ‘Rule of 1/3rds’ is observed. This means that a 1/3^rd of patients will recover, a 1/3^rd of patients will stay the same and a 1/3^rd of patients will get worse. Evidence shows that genetics do contribute to the risk of developing an eating disorder however this does not mean that people cannot recover - genes are only one part of a complex mix of risk factors.

Full recovery from an eating disorder is possible with the right help and support.